Ep. 80 The Mad Gasser of Mattoon: Real Attacks or Mass Hysteria?
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Ep. 80 The Mad Gasser of Mattoon: Real Attacks or Mass Hysteria?
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About this listen
In 1944, the town of Mattoon, Illinois was gripped by fear. Residents reported a strange sweet odor drifting through their windows, followed by nausea, paralysis, and the feeling that someone was watching from the darkness. Witnesses described a tall figure in dark clothing lurking outside homes, earning chilling nicknames like The Anesthetic Prowler and The Phantom Anesthetist.
As reports piled up, panic spread. Police searches came up empty. The FBI got involved. Armed posses formed. And then—just as suddenly as it began—the attacks stopped. Was the Mad Gasser a real person, a wartime experiment, or fear taking on a life of its own?
For this episode, we paired the story with Tribulations, a 9% Imperial IPA from Ever Grain Brewing Co. out of Camp Hill, PA. The name fits—because tribulations aren’t just suffering… they’re fear that lingers over time.
Some mysteries don’t end.
They just fade into legend.
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